Defenseman Nathan Paetsch, out with a groin injury, did not practice on Monday. He is doubtful for Wednesday's contest vs. Houston, and hopes to return Friday when Toronto visits.

Paetsch said he originally hurt it against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week. He played two periods against Rochester on Friday, then missed Saturday's Norfolk game.

- Forward Stefan Chaput (arm) skated with a yellow pinney on Monday. He should be OK for Wednesday's game.

Funny moment at the end of Monday's practice. The team was split in half, and took turns playing mini two-on-two games across the width of the ice.

Assistant coach Mike Stapleton got in on the fun with a few shifts. With the competition hanging in the balance, Stapleton passed to Matt Kennedy for the winning goal.

One problem. Kennedy was on the opposing team. Stapleton thought he was dishing to teammate Patrick Maroon.

"My eyesight is leaving me,'' Stapleton said.

The result was worth more than yucks. The losing half has to buy lunch for the whole team at a later date.

- I talked with head coach Mark Holick again about the fight his team showed against Norfolk on Saturday. He and Stapleton watched clips of the Rochester game the night before and didn't like a few instances of Crunch players not defending themselves or teammates.

"I thought we got pushed around where we shouldn't have gotten pushed around,'' Holick said.

Holick said he spoke to a few players whose job it is to bring that kind of energy to the rink about picking it up in the physical play department. The result was one of the team's most intense games of the season in a win over the Admirals.

I asked Holick about how this philosophy jives with the departure of former enforcer Jon Mirasty, who was demoted to Elmira. Holick said he's not necessarily talking about the square-up heavyweight bouts, but rather more the players understanding they have to sometimes stand up for themselves and not be afraid to respond to cheap shots in kind.

"We just want our guys to stick up for each other,'' he said. "Themselves and each other.''

I asked defenseman Mat Clark about the team as a whole stepping up in the payback department.

"The big thing for us is we play our best when we play physical. It's definitely a grind to do it game by game. Your body is going to take a beating over the course of a season,'' he said. "It's just something that comes with the territory of being a pro hockey player.''